Education Commons^™

Shifting The Focus Of Naplan, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

The decision to move NAPLAN online provides an opportunity to place less emphasis on comparing the performances of schools and more emphasis on supporting student learning, according to Professor Geoff Masters AO.

But Can We Measure It?, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

It’s often asserted that some things can’t be measured, Professor Geoff Masters AO writes in his latest column. But how true is this? And if we can’t measure something, should we stop pretending we can teach or develop it?

The School Curriculum: About Time, Geoff N. Masters, Ray Adams

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

When it comes to the school curriculum, it’s about time we asked a question about time.

An essential feature of the school curriculum is the specification of what teachers are to teach and students are to learn at particular times in the schooling process. In other words, the curriculum spells out not only what teachers are to teach and students are to learn, but also whenthis is to occur.

When it comes to the school curriculum, it’s about time we asked a question about time.

An essential feature of the school curriculum is the specification of what teachers are …

The School Curriculum: About Time, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

'Too often in our schools, the time-bound curriculum does not deliver learning experiences matched to individuals’ present levels of achievement and learning needs,' Professor Geoff Masters AO writes in his latest Teacher column.

Assessment Online: Informing Teaching And Learning, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

Online assessments are capable of providing significantly improved feedback to teaching and learning. Experience in schools is demonstrating the potential of online assessment – provided the foundations are right.

Assessment Online: Informing Teaching And Learning, Geoff N. Masters

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

Online assessments are capable of providing significantly improved feedback to teaching and learning. Experience in schools is demonstrating the potential of online assessment – provided the foundations are right.

The advantages of online assessment are often described in terms of its administrative convenience, efficiency and lower costs. However, well-constructed online assessments also are capable of providing more timely, more instructionally useful feedback to teaching and learning. For a number of years ACER has been investigating ways to enhance the educational value of online assessments.

How Well Are We Learning From Naplan?, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

Some Australian schools and school systems have seen greater improvements in NAPLAN results than others. How well do we understand where improvements are occurring and why? Professor Geoff Masters AO discusses.

Promoting Long-Term Learning Progress, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

How well do we help students recognise and reflect on the long-term progress they make at school? Could progress in school mathematics learning be more like progress in music learning? Professor Geoff Masters AO discusses.

Focus On The Larger Purpose Of Schooling And Improvement May Follow, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

Success in schools may best be achieved not by pursuing it directly, but as a ‘side-effect’ of an unwavering dedication to the larger educational purpose, writes Professor Geoff Masters AO.

20-Year Slide In Maths And Science Learning, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

With the release of results from the four-yearly Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Geoff Masters discusses what it will take to lift levels of mathematics and science learning in Australian schools.

A Commitment To Growth, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

Students begin each school year at very different stages in their learning and development. Nevertheless, every student should be expected to make excellent progress in their learning regardless of their starting point, Professor Geoff Masters AO writes.

Reform And The Senior Secondary School, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

Traditional ways of thinking about learning, assessment and educational qualifications are being challenged. Professor Geoff Masters AO discusses the three challenges that a senior secondary school can expect to face.

Mapping Progress – Using Data For Teaching And Learning, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

It’s important to keep in mind that there are three central uses of data in school education. Professor Geoff Masters AO discusses.

Monitoring Student Growth, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

In any given classroom, students are likely to be at very different points in their learning and development. Professor Geoff Masters AO explores why it is important for teachers to be able to track the long-term progress that each student makes.

Learning From Mistakes, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

A willingness to acknowledge and learn from failure is essential for all progress, writes Professor Geoff Masters AO.

Getting All Children Off To A Good Start, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

One of the biggest challenges we face in improving quality and equity in our schools is to better address the learning needs of the many children who, on entry to school, are at risk of being locked into trajectories of long-term low achievement, writes Professor Geoff Masters AO.

The ‘Long Tail’ Of Underachievement, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

One of the biggest challenges educators face is to find better ways to meet the learning needs of the many students who fall behind in our schools, fail to meet year-level expectations (often year after year) and, as a consequence, become increasingly disengaged, writes Professor Geoff Masters AO.

A 21st Century Curriculum, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

One of the biggest challenges we face in school education is to identify and develop the knowledge, skills and attributes required for life and work in the 21st Century, writes Professor Geoff Masters AO.

Reducing Disparities Between Australian Schools, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

According to Professor Geoff Masters AO, one of the biggest challenges we face in school education is to reduce current disparities in the schooling experiences of students in Australia’s most and least advantaged schools

Raising The Professional Status Of Teaching, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

One of the biggest challenges we face in school education is to raise the status of teaching as a career choice, to attract more able people into teaching and to develop teaching as a knowledge-based profession, writes Professor Geoff Masters AO.

‘Big Five’ Challenges In School Education, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

Real reform and significant progress in improving the quality and equity of Australian schooling depend on tackling our deepest and most stubborn educational challenges, writes Professor Geoff Masters AO.

Challenging Our Most Able Students, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

Professor Geoff Masters AO discusses identifying and addressing the needs of individual learners in Australian schools.

Rethinking Formative And Summative Assessment, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

It's a popular idea – educational assessments are either 'summative' assessments of learning or 'formative' assessments for learning. But just how fundamental is this distinction? And is it truly useful?

Planning A Stronger Teacher Workforce, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

Ongoing improvements in educational performance in Australian schools depend on continual improvements in the quality of classroom teaching.

Learning Assessments : Designing The Future, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

Professor Geoff Masters discusses recent developments in assessing student learning and how they will shape the future of assessment.

Essential Teaching Practices – Do They Exist?, Geoff N. Masters

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

Professor Geoff Masters discusses several practices that he would advance are part of the generic ‘essence’ of effective teaching.

Assessing End-Of-School Attainment, Geoff N. Masters

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

Is there a ‘best’ way to establish the levels of knowledge, understanding and skill that students have attained in a subject by the end of Year 12?

Achieving High Standards By Starting From Current Performance, Geoff N. Masters

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

A commonly proposed strategy for raising achievement levels in schools is to specify high expectations or ‘standards’ of student performance and to hold students, teachers and schools accountable for achieving those standards. On the surface, it seems like an eminently sensible strategy. But is it?

Incentives - An Ineffective School Improvement Strategy?, Geoff N. Masters

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

By the turn of the century, the observation had been made in many countries that substantial increases in expenditure on schools had failed to deliver measurable improvements in student performance. But just how effective are incentives as an improvement strategy?